Bad sports, good sports: Merriman and Tila story reminds me of what a dope he is

Posted on September 7th, 2009 by Alan Spoll

Shawne Merriman, of the San Diego Chargers, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly choking his girlfriend, Tila Tequila, of MTV fame. Merriman, who has been named to the Pro Bowl three times, was released after a few hours and charges are pending.

Athletes getting in trouble is nothing new. I would not have much to write about each week if these guys actually learned how to behave. I don’t even know if Merriman is guilty of what Tequila (nee Nguyen) has accused him of doing. After all, she has a pretty uneven past herself, having become famous for posing nude in magazines as well as hosting a dating show on MTV. Not really Supreme Court justice material there. What makes me want to write about this is the fact that Merriman failed a steroids test in 2006. He was suspended for four games. Why would a 3 year old transgression move me to report on an alleged domestic incident? Because I still don’t understand why there has been absolutely zero impact on Merriman’s career or reputation, while the various baseball players who have reportedly failed steroid tests have been ripped to shreds by the media and the fans. Why is this the case? It’s certainly not a question of popularity or attention. The NFL has reached unprecedented levels of popularity in this country. I am constantly amazed at how football seems to have become a year-round sport, as far as being a constant topic of conversation. So that’s not it. Both are team sports, so it’s not a matter of individual achievement, is it? Can’t a roided-up football player affect the game as much as a doping baseball player?

If I had to pin it down, I would venture a guess that the significance of individual records in baseball is a big part of the reason why we react so strongly to reports of steroid use by baseball players. I am not sure why these records seem so much more significant in baseball, but I do know that I am far more bothered by the fact that Barry Bonds stole the all-time home record from Hank Aaron than I would be if Shawne Merriman someday passed Bruce Smith’s career sack record. I don’t know what it is about those baseball records, but they seem to have some kind of magic to them. Sixty-one home runs in a season is still the mark to beat, in my opinion. Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Bonds can keep their bogus totals to themselves. Let them believe they hit that many for real.

How Merriman’s career will play out remains to be seen. He may be derailed by the current sordid situation or he may not. It is certain, however, that the failed steroid test is not going to be any more than a footnote on his resume. And that is a real shame.

Bad sports, continued:

2) Remember Willie Williams, the once can’t-miss football prospect from Miami? Looks like his troubles aren’t behind him, as he recently suggested they were. He was arrested this week for burglarizing a home in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

3) It’s not enough that he continues to torture us with his annual retire-cry-unretire-change his mind-change it again routine. Brett Favre, now the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, is intentionally trying to hurt other players. He threw an absolutely dirty block on Houston’s Eugene Wilson this week (in a pre-season game, no less) that could have caused serious injury. A veteran of 18 NFL seasons should know much better than to do something like that.

***This is where the Good Sports section usually starts, but I am going all Bad Sports this week. Too much bad stuff happening this week…most of it in football. Apologies to Kim Clijsters and her strong comeback to the tennis world.

4) Leon Roach, a 19-year-old pole vaulter for UC-San Diego, died this week when he missed the landing pad during a practice. Horrifying story.

5) LeGarrette Blount, a star running back for the University of Oregon, was suspended for the season after punching a member of the Boise State football team in the face after Boise beat Oregon on Thursday. Looks like somebody doesn’t appreciate trash-talking.

6) What is it about the wide receiver position in football that creates such immature primadonnas? Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos looks to be well on his way to being the next great headcase receiver. He has had a number of issues over the past few years, including several arrests. Now, he has responded to Denver’s denial of his request for a trade by acting like a big baby, throwing a world-class tantrum in training camp and getting himself suspended. Looks like they are going to let him come back and play, which seems unfortunate.

Jeff Pearlman, of CNN/SI, wrote about Marshall’s special brand of idiocy. Well put.

Bad Sports, Good Sports appears every Monday

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Alan Spoll

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02